St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-08
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FAIR HANDS SCOOP CHIPS.
Poker-Playing Craze Among
Society Ladies.


III see your raise and go so better"
The last speaker was handsome
young bride of about year. She was
one of a party of five fashionable ladies
who sat about card-table in the library
of an elegant residence in the fashiona
bic quarter OF the city.
On the table were the cards and in
front of each lady was stack of little
round worries. which. with the above
conversation, left no doubt as to the ma
ture of the game in which the fair play
crS were engaged. 1t was the great
American game of poker.
Poker has of late become very popular
among ladies of fashion, and many of
the afternoons" lat homes ''Wed-
nesdayS" and Thursdays are nothing
more nor less than quiet little poker par
ties gotten up by ladies of speculative
prociivitieS 1t is said that once a lady
becomes fascinated with the game she
will sacrifice all her pin money" in in
dulging her passion for poker. One
lady, the wife of wealthy Wall street
man, has lost over $1,000 in the past two
months at these ladies' games. notwith-
standing it was 10-cent ante and a
50-cent limit. That is the usual game
ladies play.
AS rule the ladies stand their losses
brayely, but sometimes beginners. who
make all sorts of mistakes. when they
lose say it ''ain't fair" and want to be
given another chance. But the veteran
lat homers'' quietly collar the money
and pay no heed to the ''SQuealing'' OF
their gentle opponents.
The crack player among the fair con-
testants is said to be Mrs. Osborn.
She and Mrs. Felgen were the pioneers
of ladies' poker parties. Although the
integrity of Mrs. Osborn is beyond Ques-
ton she is said to be an adept at the
game, and her winnings on last winters
games are estimated by the ladies who
have played against her at from $4,000
to $15,C00. AT one sitting alone last
February she won over 500.
Mrs. Osborn is the widow of the grain
operator who died about two years ago.
She is large, handsome woman of 81.
and is said to have broken the bank
once at Monte Carlo. 1t was during a
trip through Europe with her husband
that the famous play was made by
which their entire travelling and hotel
expenses were cleared.
Another skillful player is Mrs. King
don. She is said to be highly discreet,
and no more can be learned from the eX-
preston of her face when playing poker
than one could gather from the face of
the Sphinx of the desert. But when not
engaged i'll play it would be difficult to
find a prettier and more mobile c0unte-
nance than that of Mrs. Kingdom. Her
highest winning at one time last winter
is said to have been $3.50.
AS has already been said, the usual
game of ladies is a 10-cent ante and 80
cent limit, but this rule is often de-
parted from by the more wealthy ladies',
who having no limit to their pin-mOney,
see no need to limit their play.
In most cases, in order to ascertain
the quality of lady's hand you have
only to watch her face when she looks
at her cards. If her hand is bad one
she will often let fall such exclama-
tons as .Oh, 'pshawH' well, | de-
clarer' and Il think it's real meanH' If
she has a good hand she will immedi-
ately begin to gather up her chips and
ask whose bet it is. But this is not true
of all ladies. 1t is unnecessary to say
that the ladies who hold their tongues
and preserve calm demeanOr are the
ones who go home with a heavier reti-
Guile than they brought.
Among the ladies who live in the
fashionable hotels there is many quiet
little game of an afternoon. The ladies
congregate in the apartment of some
friend and enjoy the great American
game until it is time is expect their hub
bieS up from down town. 1t is said that
a nice little game was suddenly thrown
into confusion last week at one of the
big hotels by the unexpected arrival of
the husband of the lady in whose
rooms the game was in progress.
Just as the attention of the fair play
ers was absorbed in a Jack pot" in
walked Mr.. Hubby and such c0nster-
nation and utter bewilderment as over
came the ladies would be difficult to de-
scribe. The gentleman took in the sit
uatlOn at a glance, and after he had
made some commonplace remark the
ladies slowly retired, leaving the chips
and cards on the table.
In private houses precautiOn is taken
against the sudden arrival of the hus-
band or any other undesirable visitor by
StatiOning a servant i'll the hall, who by
given signal can acquaint the ladies
with the nature Of \ any new
arrival-whether friend or foe.
Ii a friend Of poker the game proceeds;
without Interruption, the new arrival
probably sitting I'M also. If an enemy
OF husband the signal is given and in
a jitfy the cards and chips are quickly
| put out of sight, and tea and biscuit put
in their place.
With some husbands the wives have
no need to take these precautions. Sew
eral jolly Wall street men pop in pur-
poSely while their wives are at play, and
insist upon taking part in the game.
The ladies object to this generally, be-
cause brokers are so prone to bluff.
| When husbands are allowed in game,
however, it is not long before they cor
her the money market, but the wives
make them unload and give them
| another chance.